A Look Into the Heart
by Legendary Chocobo
Summary: According to DiZ, those without hearts cannot feel. But what if DiZ is wrong? What if the heart is not all one needs to feel? An essay contradicting the 'no-heart-no-emotion' theory.


**I don't own Kingdom Hearts, obviously, nor do I know why this community uses disclaimers at the start of stories in the first place. Maybe it's just an old tradition... Hmph. In my opinion, there should be something in the FFN rules about it if we have to do it. Or FFN should have a page claiming that none of the works here are meant to steal the author's ideas, yada yada yada, etc...a disclaimer in its own right, but it would eliminate the need for these...Oh god I'm ranting.**

**To be honest, I only wrote this out of boredom. Seriously. But while it isn't flawless, I think my theories are pretty interesting. I don't think anyone's ever written an essay on them before, either, heheh - but I could be wrong. Give it a chance? And tell me what you thought; I do love feedback. **

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><p>In a game where Disney and Square Enix combine to weave an intricate story of adventure, friendship, and harmony between light and darkness, a game known as Kingdom Hearts, there exists a being known as a Nobody. These creatures are the remnants, the 'leftovers,' that stay behind when a particularly strong heart is taken by darkness and changed into a being known as a Heartless, which, to my understanding, is the raw essence, in an animate form, of the darkness in one's heart (Which does make me wonder where the light goes off to, but I digress). A Nobody is but a body and a soul, with no heart to speak of, and does not have, according to Ansem the Wise, the capacity to experience human emotion.<p>

Evidence suggests, however, that Ansem the Wise and those who follow these beliefs, are misled.

I've spent time thinking on this subject, for little reason other than a fangirl's obsession. I've come across various sources that point out flaws in the reasoning behind the statement that Nobodies 'cannot feel.' My other knowledge of emotions and instincts has only pushed my idea farther.

Emotion is what drives us in life. Emotion, and need. Without emotion, one would not have the drive needed to survive. _Fear_ of one's death, both the pain it would bring and what lies after it; _curiosity _of what awaits one in the future; and the _desire _to do as one wishes, a feat only known to be accomplished when one is alive; these are the only reasons any sentient creature, animal or human, lives. Without emotions, one would not care whether he or she lived or died. Without emotions, 'need' is also eliminated, as Nobodies would not believe anything was 'needed' or 'unneeded' without being able to feel. They could not want for anything, neither a goal or even, simply, their own survival.

This brings me to my next point. In canon, it is made clear that the higher Nobodies, all the known of which make up a group known as Organization XIII, are working towards the goal of regaining their hearts. A goal requires a desire, and desire is an emotion. Without being able to feel emotions, these Nobodies would be unable to want their hearts back, and therefore unlikely to work toward, or even have, such a goal.

Both of my arguments, I suppose, could be retaliated with something mentioning how Nobodies _remember _what it was like to feel. But even so, if they are not able to feel anything _now, _as Nobodies, are memories really enough to make them want for something they had never specifically wanted before? As another point, who is to say they aren't better off as Nobodies than Somebodies? Only they can make such a decision, and decisions require a _need_ to be made. Need is determined by emotions. The circle makes its way back around.

I might also add that the names also hint at this. Heartless? Why Heart_less, _when they are, technically, pure hearts, if only the darkness of them? And a _nobody, _as in someone who has little to no reputation or friends, is often associated with being sad and lonely. Could the game be hinting at the theories I'm speaking of, or is it simply coincidence? I make no conclusions with this point, but it's an interesting thing to note.

I do have a theory as to why Nobodies can feel without their hearts, or at least why the Organization XIII Nobodies can feel without their hearts; as other, lower-ranking Nobodies are not focused on enough during the game to discern whether they are able to feel or not (Though if they cannot, it may be that the reason they still survive has something to do with Organization XIII still controlling them). I believe that one does not only feel with his or her _heart_, though that may or may not be a large portion of one's feelings. It is possible that one may also experience emotions through his or her _soul_. This has not yet been determined, nor do I know the extent with which the soul would be able to feel, should my hypothesis be true. It's possible that the soul could only experience basic emotions, such as sadness or joy or anger, and the heart is a catalyst for emotions, bringing the more complex ones like jealousy and lust into play. Other possibilities may be seen at a later time, but for now, this is what I leave you with.

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><p><strong>I think I sounded a little too smart-assy with that ending. Posh, you know? But, oh well. Leave a review, would you? Like I said, I want to know what you guys think.<strong>


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